Records: Rifle wounds to torso killed Montpelier robbery suspect

Rachel Feldman, a spokeswoman for Vermont State Employees Credit Union, speaks on Jan. 17, 2018 about a robbery that happened the day before. The suspect was later shot by police.
APRIL MCCULLUM/FREE PRESS

Nathan Giffin of Essex is seen in this photograph taken March 8, 2015.(Photo: Courtesy Williston Police)

A man killed by police last week died from rifle wounds to his torso, according to a death certificate released this week.

Nathan Giffin, 32, of Essex was pronounced dead at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin following the shooting outside Montpelier High School. Nine officers — eight Vermont State Police troopers and one Montpelier Police Officer — opened fire on Giffin after a standoff on the high school's athletic fields, Vermont State Police have said.

Police said Giffin was suspected of robbing a credit union in Montpelier earlier that day. During a standoff with police Griffin displayed a silver and black BB gun, which authorities had believed to be a handgun, police said.

The Chief Medical Examiner's Office listed Giffin's manner of death as homicide on the death certificate. The document did not say how many times Giffin was shot, and police have not released that information either.

Vermont State Police Maj. Glenn Hall said the ongoing investigation will include information on the number of times Giffin was shot, the number of shots fired by police, and whether Giffin fired his BB gun. He said he had not seen the reports with that information as of Monday, but he would look into whether those things had been determined.

A bank robbery suspect waves his arm in communication to the police at Montpelier High School on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018.(Photo: JOSH KUCKENS/TIMES ARGUS STAFF)

The death certificate shows that Giffin's fatal injury occurred around 11:21 a.m. last Tuesday. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 11:47 a.m.

Police believed that Giffin had robbed the Vermont State Employee Credit Union earlier that morning. Police confronted Griffin on the school's athletic field and attempted to negotiate with him for about 50 minutes.

Police said Giffin was making threatening statements to law enforcement, including suicidal statements. He also ignored orders to surrender his weapon, police said.

Nathan Giffin, the bank robbery suspect shot and killed outside Montpelier High School on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, was carrying this weapon at the time nine officers opened fire on him, state police said Wednesday. The weapon is a BB gun, a Umarex 40XP BB pistol.(Photo: COURTESY VERMONT STATE POLICE)

Montpelier High School was locked down as the incident unfolded, and students and staff were moved away from that side of the school to the auditorium.

Hall anticipated that it could be another week or two before the case is ready to hand over to the Washington County State's Attorney's Office and the Vermont Attorney General's Office for review. The prosecutors will determine whether the officers were justified in their use of deadly force.

Troopers who were involved in the shooting are back to full duty as of Monday, Hall said. Montpelier Police Chief Anthony Facos said his department's officer who was involved, Cpl. Michael Philbrick, is also back on full duty.